twenty one pilots one shots

Fondly

It was 5 AM, and the dust from the ceiling had long since settled in Tyler's brain. He'd been staring at the poor thing all night, not sleeping a wink. It couldn't seem to stand his gaze any longer; it crumbled and fell to pieces.

The night was ending, just barely hanging on by its last heartbeats, the last twinkles of the stars. But the dust, the lack of sleep made the view hazy. He wasn't sure how he was feeling, either.

He didn't know if he felt relieved that the night was finally almost over, or if he was dreading the new day that was about to dawn. Perhaps he felt both ways. Perhaps he just wanted time to freeze so he could be stuck in this one moment, never moving forward, and never going back.

But Tyler was just one person, and the universe wasn't going to come to a screeching halt for someone like him.

Stars flickering out one by one, more colors painting the sky, the rays of the rising sun reaching heavenward, all passed Tyler by as he felt his soul leaving him, the emptiness of his human shell taking over.

His mind was drowning in a dense fog, almost no light to be seen. But the fog began to fade into the air like snowy breaths in the winter. A figure emerged from the shadows, glowing softly like warm lights.

He remembered the figure, and how the sun would wake her every morning, no matter what she did or how long she had slept.

He remembered Jenna telling him how she hated having to wake up so early, but she loved how softly and gradually she'd awake, just like the sunrise.

He could see her eyes opening right now, the sunlight hitting her icy blue eyes. He could imagine her yawn, her rubbing her eyes. He could picture her arms, marked with the folds and creases of her sheets, rising up as she stretched. He could see her fingers, the seams of her pillow indented, running through her messy but still beautiful blonde hair.

Then he remembered how little time he has left to spend with her before he needs to leave.

I'm going out of town for a while. You know, family stuff. But I won't forget to write.

Tyler sighed heavily, burying his face in his hands.

In his mind, the fog completely disappeared, as did Jenna.

He found himself in the living room of his childhood home, his parents sitting in front of him with big smiles on their faces. He felt a hand in his, soft, warm, comforting. He looked over and saw Jenna again, smiling back at his parents.

"So," His mother, Kelly, began, clapping her hands lightly. "You two have been together for a while now, haven't you?"

Tyler panicked, not knowing when he was. End of December maybe? There were still crumpled balls of wrapping paper littered about. He and Jenna had gotten together mid-January. But, wait, what year is it?

"A year next month," Jenna answered, Tyler sighing in relief in response. "But time has flown by, hasn't it?" She asked him, leaning into him teasingly.

"It has," he chuckled nervously. "I can hardly believe it, either."

"So," His father, Chris, started off the same way as Kelley. "Things are getting pretty serious, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Joseph," Jenna chuckled. "A year is kind of fast in my opinion."

"Yeah," Tyler chuckled nervously again. "Slow your roll, Dad."

He began to remember how he was feeling in this exact moment; a plea of someone change the subject, the guilt, the knowledge that he wouldn't be here for very long.

He remembered in a few moments he would tell his parents his plan to check into a rehab center while Jenna had gone to use the restroom, and how he'd gotten worse and how he didn't know how long he'd be away.

He remembered his parents' initial shock, and eventual acceptance and even praise for taking control of things and wanting to get better.

Despite support from his parents, things like this were never easy for Tyler. His mind started to work and worry, using its unknown power to attack the body it was trapped inside of.

He didn't know how a long-distance relationship between him and Jenna would work out, or how he could lie to her to protect her from his darker side. The guilt was already weighing him down, making him feel like he'd be crushed by it.

The sudden rush of emotion made him exhausted. His eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep, just as Jenna would wake up.

~

When he opened his eyes, the sun was still shining. It was brighter, higher in the sky than when he fell asleep.

Tyler sighed heavily, groaning softly as he reached for his phone.

He groaned louder when he realized he had slept a full day, getting worried texts from Jenna throughout the whole thing.

He opened the messages, telling her that he's fine; he was just sleeping.

She replied almost immediately, clearly relieved, hoping he felt like he'd gotten over 24 hours of sleep.

He replied, giving her a positive answer.

He put his phone down, sighing again, and rubbing his eyes.

Today was the day.

He got out of bed, pulling a suitcase out from under his bed, beginning to lazily pile clothes, books, and other things in it.

Soon, the suitcase was cumbersome, practically bursting at the seams. He didn't know how long he'd be away, so he needed to pack as much as possible.

Then, he entered the institution, surrounded by people who understand him, who fight his and their own battles with him.

But, every morning he'd remember that girl who woke with the sun, with her drowsy beauty and hopeful ambitions for the new day.

He always treasured these thoughts, memories, pictures fabricated from his own mind, because he knew someday they'd meet again.

But when that happens, may his heart still be beating, and his blood still be red, and may a hundred years pass before he's dead.

____________________

A/N: Sorry my comeback sucked lol